Praying Down the Fire

I love reading the Bible stories about King David. Whenever he would go to battle, he would seek the Lord for guidance and plans. God never failed to grant him the most remarkable battle strategies. Sometimes it would be hide here, or attack there, go up, or go down. He continually sought God and continually walked in victory. David sought for the heart of God in all matters and God delighted to bless him.

I moved to St. Louis more than a year ago to begin a work here. After we moved, we felt the Lord call us to a time of rest and quietness. Good thing, too. I fell ill and battled through a blood disorder and several medical situations that sapped my time and strength. The rest period was need for me personally, and was a boon to my family and marriage.

And now arrives the season when kings go to war.

I awoke Sunday with a most unusual disposition. I suddenly had an open heaven. If you have any kind of prayer life, it means that they blockage that is usually there was gone. A few brief words with hands raised in worship and I found myself transported into what the Quakers of old used to call the "felt presence of God." Prayer precedes revival.

St. Louis is a beautiful city that sits on the banks of the Mississippi River. If you're from either coast of the USA, it's part of that big landfill between LA and New York! :-) Our city started as a French trading port and it has grown into a magnificent metropolis. There are 14 higher learning campuses here ranging from Jesuit to secular to Southern Baptist and God has laid it on my heart to pray for them all. He wants to harvest the souls of the young.

While seeking God for battle strategies to win our campuses for Christ, he laid a peculiar command on my heart: Go to Washington University for two hours a day, drop to my knees, and pray until he comes in power.

Oh, is that all.

I've always been into radical obedience to God but this action redefines my concept of radical. There is a faulty Western notion that we are under grace so we don't have to really obey God. This is a total distortion of the whole concept of God's grace. He gives us his grace, the unmerited favor and power to please and serve him, so that we can obey him. Jesus' standard for loving God is set forth plainly in the Book: If you love me, you will obey me. (John 14:23). That isn't legalism or salvation by works, it's simple truth.

God says his house should be called a house of prayer. It hit me while meditation on this that his house is built of living stones - it is the people who comprise his church, his Body, here on earth! We, you and me, are to be the house of prayer for all nations! I am to be a living intercessor for the nations of the earth.

One hindrance to prayer that prevails is coming to a place of heart surrender and simply believing that God's promises are true. Consider Matthew 21:22. "And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive." Obviously this is predicated upon the thing being prayed for being in God's will - he isn't going to violate His word for you or anyone else. Though self-serving preachers have twisted this verse into all sorts of selfish distortions, it remains true.

So today I am headed for Washington University near the Loop District in University City (St. Louis) to begin to publicly intercede for the campus until God comes in power. I believe this to be his will and I am committed to pray until he comes in power. Like Joshua and Caleb said, "We can take the land!"

This ought to be an adventure!

Used with permission from:
Bryan Hupperts
© 2000 SheepTrax Ministries
4744 Stone Hill Drive
St. Louis, MO 63128
Sheeptrax@saintly.com
http://members.igateway.net/~bryanh

DINING ROOM     HOME